It is possible to complete AQA AS History (7041) by examination only, but the AQA A Level History (7042) qualification requires a non-exam assessment (NEA) and may pose difficulties for private candidates, external candidates or home educators. There is no coursework component needed to complete Cambridge International AS and A Level History (9489 from 2021), or Pearson Edexcel AS English History (XHI01) and Pearson Edexcel A Level History (YHI01). That is, students can attain the qualification by examination only.
Make sure to choose carefully!
Each exam board uses a syllabus or specification to clearly state, among other things, the subject course content and methods of final assessments. Additionally, each exam board will give suggested textbooks and other resources, some of which are endorsed (that is, they carefully follow the specific syllabus or specification). Teachers and students can choose the best resources to facilitate learning. You don't need all the suggested resources, but it is useful to have one or two textbooks as a scaffold, alongside the syllabus or specification and online resources as needed.
I have tutored students in Cambridge AS and A Level History so I am familiar with the syllabus content, varied teaching and learning strategies for individual students, and preparation for assessments (examinations). CAIE examinations were easier for my four home educated children to access, and I have been teaching or tutoring CAIE examination subjects in school or online since 2007.
I will pass on what I have used, at one time or another, to teach Cambridge AS and A Level History (9489). I will also give suggested resources for anyone interested in accessing AS and A Level History offered by AQA and Pearson Edexcel exam boards.
Make sure to choose carefully!
Each exam board uses a syllabus or specification to clearly state, among other things, the subject course content and methods of final assessments. Additionally, each exam board will give suggested textbooks and other resources, some of which are endorsed (that is, they carefully follow the specific syllabus or specification). Teachers and students can choose the best resources to facilitate learning. You don't need all the suggested resources, but it is useful to have one or two textbooks as a scaffold, alongside the syllabus or specification and online resources as needed.
I have tutored students in Cambridge AS and A Level History so I am familiar with the syllabus content, varied teaching and learning strategies for individual students, and preparation for assessments (examinations). CAIE examinations were easier for my four home educated children to access, and I have been teaching or tutoring CAIE examination subjects in school or online since 2007.
I will pass on what I have used, at one time or another, to teach Cambridge AS and A Level History (9489). I will also give suggested resources for anyone interested in accessing AS and A Level History offered by AQA and Pearson Edexcel exam boards.
Syllabuses and specifications
To have the most success in final assessments (exams), read the syllabus or specification carefully. Consider this as the rule book, as it gives clear details about the subject.
Here are the links for the AS and A Level History courses at AQA, CAIE, Pearson Edexcel:
Here are the links for the AS and A Level History courses at AQA, CAIE, Pearson Edexcel:
AQA AS and A-Level History (7701, 7702)
https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/history/as-and-a-level/history-7041-7042
Cambridge AS and A Level History (9489)
https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/programmes-and-qualifications/cambridge-international-as-and-a-level-history-9489/
Pearson Edexcel International Advanced Level History (XHI01, YHI01)
qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-international-advanced-levels/history-2015.html
https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/history/as-and-a-level/history-7041-7042
Cambridge AS and A Level History (9489)
https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/programmes-and-qualifications/cambridge-international-as-and-a-level-history-9489/
Pearson Edexcel International Advanced Level History (XHI01, YHI01)
qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-international-advanced-levels/history-2015.html
Past paper practice
One of the best ways to understand how well you will do in the final assessments is to complete some past papers, mark them, and reflect on your strengths and challenges. Then repeat the process. Strong AS and A Level knowledge and skills are built through practice, so you should make sure to get support from teachers, tutors, or mentors as necessary. In the meantime, visit the examination board's website and look for past papers, the mark schemes (answer keys or rubrics) and the examiners' reports. All these documents will be helpful in honing your skills in this subject.
Suggested textbooks
There are endorsed textbooks that are closely aligned to exam board courses and these will be the best resource to use as a scaffold for learning. Each exam board also suggests other textbooks and resources for each subject course. The choice of books for teaching and learning is yours, but I have always relied on one or two endorsed textbooks, and then used other resources to supplement my own learning and teaching.
Here are some useful suggested textbooks for AS and A Level History:
Here are some useful suggested textbooks for AS and A Level History:
AQA AS and A-Level History (7041, 7042)
There are so many different texts, depending on the chosen history topics. Here are the best links to find the relevant textbooks for your topics:Once you have made your topic choices, look at the approved textbooks (endorsed by the exam board) and choose one per topic.This link has many links on resources for each topic. Again, choose your topics from the AS or A-Level specification and then look through all the suggested texts. You will not want to read them all or buy them all, so choose wisely!
Cambridge AS and A Level History (9489)
- Williams, R. (2013) Cambridge International AS Level: European History 1789 - 1917. ISBN: 9781107613249 [Endorsed]
- Browning, P. & Walsh-Atkins, P. (2013) Cambridge International AS Level: History of the USA 1840 - 1941. ISBN: 9781107679603 [Endorsed]
- Wadsworth, P. & Walsh-Atkins, P. (2013) Cambridge International AS Level: International History 1871 - 1945. ISBN: 9781107613232 [Endorsed]
- Wadsworth, P. & Walsh-Atkins, P. (2019) Cambridge International AS Level: International History 1871 - 1945. Coursebook. ISBN: 9781108459327 [Endorsed]
- Walsh-Atkins, P. (Ed) (2019) Cambridge International AS Level: History of the USA 1820 - 1941 Coursebook. ISBN: 9781108716291 [Endorsed]
- Williamson, D. (2019) Access to History for Cambridge International AS Level: International History 1870 - 1945. ISBN: 9781510448674 [Endorsed for 2021]
- Fellows, N. & Wells, M. (2019) Access to History for Cambridge International AS Level: Modern Europe 1750 - 1920. ISBN: 9781510448698 [Endorsed for 2021]
- Farmer, A. (2019) Access to History for Cambridge International AS Level: The History of the USA 1820 - 1941. ISBN: 9781510448681 [Endorsed for 2021]
- Goodlad, G. et al. (2019) Modern Europe 1750 - 1920 for Cambridge International AS Level History. ISBN: 9781108733922 [Endorsed for 2021]
- Browning, P. et al. (2019) The History of the USA, 1820 - 1941 for Cambridge International AS Level History. ISBN: 9781108716291 [Endorsed for 2021]
Pearson Edexcel International Advanced Level History (XHI01, YHI01)
- Pearson Edexcel International AS / A Level History: Russia, 1917–1991: From Lenin to Yeltsin: Online Teacher Resource Pack. [Licence] ISBN: 9781292277745
- Pearson Edexcel International AS / A Level History: Civil Rights and Race Relations in the USA, 1865–2009: Online Teacher Resource Pack. [Licence] ISBN: 9781292277738
- Pearson Edexcel International AS / A Level History: The World Divided: Superpower Relations, 1943-90: Online Teacher Resource Pack. [Licence] ISBN: 9781292277721
- Pearson Edexcel International AS / A Level History: South Africa, 1948–2014: Online Teacher Resource Pack. [Licence] ISBN: 9781292277714
- Pearson Edexcel International AS / A Level History: Russia in Revolution, 1881–1917: Online Teacher Resource Pack. [Licence] ISBN: 9781292277707
- Pearson Edexcel International AS / A Level History: India, 1857-1948: The Raj to Partition: Online Teacher Resource Pack. [Licence] ISBN: 9781292277691
- Pearson Edexcel International AS / A Level History: Germany, 1918–45: Online Teacher Resource Pack. [Licence] ISBN: 9781292277684
- Pearson Edexcel International AS / A Level History: China, 1900–76: Online Teacher Resource Pack. [Licence] ISBN: 9781292277677
Useful websites for AS and A Level History
Using an endorsed textbook alongside the syllabus or specification is always my first strategy in teaching or tutoring AS and A Level History Then I look through the online resources to supplement and complement what is being taught and learnt, and I am constantly researching new resources. History is a dynamic subject and we are living it daily as well as looking at past events to guide discussions and learn about past events.
As you study History, you will find other websites to specifically guide your historical focus, but these general websites can provide a starting point:
As you study History, you will find other websites to specifically guide your historical focus, but these general websites can provide a starting point:
www.history.com
The History Channel is a useful website to check out, especially with 'This Day in History'.
www.historyskills.com
History Skills is another really useful website, created by an experienced educator. There is a subscription resource but also plenty of free and valuable material. Take your time with this website.
spartacus-educational.com
This website is information dense, almost like an encyclopedia, so it is a great reference resource for teachers or for students looking for specific information or cross-checking facts from another website.
johndclare.net
One of my favorite sites for teachers and students at GCSE level. The collapsible revision pages are comprehensive and each topic is filled with information, questions and source materials.
www.activehistory.co.uk
This is another subscription-based website, using games to teach learning as well as providing hundreds of documents on a variety of topics. There are some free resources to view as well. The author of all the resources and the website is a dedicated History teacher with many years' experience.
www.mrallsophistory.com/revision/category/a-level-and-ib-history-revision
Mr Allsop's podcasts are easy to listen to, and though there isn't as much content in his A Level resources, they are still useful for students who want something other than another History book to read.
besthistorysites.net
This is a great portal for many other websites. So as not to waste time, I always go to portal websites when I am looking for something specific.
Websites need to be checked often to make sure they are still relevant and the links are still active. All websites were checked and updated: April, 2021.
The History Channel is a useful website to check out, especially with 'This Day in History'.
www.historyskills.com
History Skills is another really useful website, created by an experienced educator. There is a subscription resource but also plenty of free and valuable material. Take your time with this website.
spartacus-educational.com
This website is information dense, almost like an encyclopedia, so it is a great reference resource for teachers or for students looking for specific information or cross-checking facts from another website.
johndclare.net
One of my favorite sites for teachers and students at GCSE level. The collapsible revision pages are comprehensive and each topic is filled with information, questions and source materials.
www.activehistory.co.uk
This is another subscription-based website, using games to teach learning as well as providing hundreds of documents on a variety of topics. There are some free resources to view as well. The author of all the resources and the website is a dedicated History teacher with many years' experience.
www.mrallsophistory.com/revision/category/a-level-and-ib-history-revision
Mr Allsop's podcasts are easy to listen to, and though there isn't as much content in his A Level resources, they are still useful for students who want something other than another History book to read.
besthistorysites.net
This is a great portal for many other websites. So as not to waste time, I always go to portal websites when I am looking for something specific.
Websites need to be checked often to make sure they are still relevant and the links are still active. All websites were checked and updated: April, 2021.